1 Corinthians 2:6-8 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Howbeit, we speak wisdom Yea, the truest and most excellent wisdom: for the subject matter of our preaching is the most wise contrivance and counsel of God concerning the salvation of mankind by Christ crucified, which will be acknowledged to be the highest wisdom, though not by learned philosophers, yet by humble, sincere, and well- instructed Christians. Such are here meant by them that are perfect That is, perfectly enlightened by the Word and Spirit of God, and renewed by his grace, so as to have attained to a maturity of Christian knowledge and experience: being no longer children, but men in understanding, (1 Corinthians 14:20,) having arrived at spiritual manhood, called, Ephesians 4:13, the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. See also Hebrews 5:14; Hebrews 6:1, where τελειοι, perfect, is taken in the same sense, and is rendered, of full age, and signifies those who no longer need to be fed with milk, being able to digest strong meat, having, by reason of use, or habit, their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. What the apostle here calls wisdom, includes, as Macknight justly observes, “the doctrine concerning the person and offices of Christ, treated of in his epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians; the justification of sinners by faith counted to them for righteousness, explained in his epistle to the Romans; the rejection and resumption of the Jews, foretold in the same epistle; the coming and destruction of the man of sin, foretold 2 Thessalonians 2.; the priesthood, sacrifice, and intercession of Christ, explained in his epistle to the Hebrews; and the resurrection of the dead, foretold in this epistle: in short, the whole doctrine of the gospel, taken complexly.” Yet not the wisdom of this world The wisdom admired and taught by the men of this world, such as that which teaches men how to manage their temporal affairs properly, in order to their living comfortable lives upon earth, and the various branches of human learning. Nor of the princes Or rulers; of this world The wisdom admired and sought by the great politicians of the age, whether Jews or Gentiles; that come to naught Both they, and their wisdom, and the world itself. But Being taught of God to despise the transient vanities which delude the generality of mankind; we speak the wisdom of God Infinitely more worthy, surely, of the attentive consideration and regard of all rational and immortal beings, than the short-lived wisdom of this world: in a mystery Such as no creature could discover without supernatural revelation, Ephesians 3:9-10, and which was especially kept secret from the wise and learned of the world, 1 Corinthians 2:8: even the hidden wisdom Hidden formerly under holy mysteries and Jewish types, and but darkly revealed to and by the prophets; and altogether unknown to the heathen: which God ordained before the world Purposed from everlasting to reveal in the gospel; unto our glory To bring us to glory by the saving knowledge of it: glory arising from the glory of our Lord, and then to be revealed when all worldly glory vanishes. So far is this wisdom from coming to naught, like worldly wisdom! Which none of the princes of this world knew Whether Jewish or heathen; for had they known it Had they understood this wisdom, and known that the only way to attain happiness was to receive in faith, love, and new obedience, Jesus of Nazareth, as the true Messiah and only Saviour, and the great truths of his everlasting gospel; surely they would not have crucified Punished as a slave; the Lord of glory The glorious Head of his church and of the world, the final Judge of men and angels, and the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him, Hebrews 5:9. The giving Christ this august title, peculiar to Deity, plainly shows him to be, in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the true God. Thus the Father is styled, the Father of glory, Ephesians 1:17, and the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of glory, 1 Peter 4:14. The application of this title to all the three, shows that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are the God of glory, as the only true God is called, Psalms 29:3; Acts 7:2.